


Deku vs. The Power of Love

by nicole345



Category: Hunter X Hunter, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Jealousy, M/M, Mutual Pining, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:40:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25309882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nicole345/pseuds/nicole345
Summary: Izuku is now twenty-two years old, and it had now been five years since Katsuki had left his hometown for good.At this point, fate has made it very clear that he and Katsuki were just meant to be friends. And, while accepting that had been hard, he was ready to move on.Until now! Introducing the Demulation. A machine designed to create limitless dreams and fantasies... For a long time pining Izuku, this seems to be exactly what he needs to get over a chance he let slip away. Of course, falling in love with an imaginary Kacchan is fun...until "Kacchan" begins to fall in love with him too.
Relationships: Bakugou Katsuki/Midoriya Izuku
Comments: 10
Kudos: 32





	1. Game 1

_ LOADING… _

_ LOADING… _

_ LOADING… _

_ START? _

“Let’s go! Let’s go! Keep moving!”

A figure in front of him pulls him forward as he stumbles to catch up. Bewildered, he looks around at his surroundings only to see darkness inhibiting his sight. His surroundings were bleak as he moved through a completely unknown environment. He can barely keep up with his thoughts as a petite hand pulls tugs him down a winding path. Suddenly, they stop. 

A female voice, her tone airy and panicked, says, “Dead end.” She squeezes his wrist, her hand as hand tightening. Shouts behind them are able to be heard, and their sound sends her into a frenzy as his guides begin to panic. In the dark, he can make out brown hair moving in a flurry to find a new path in the blocked off woods. Somehow, Izuku knew himself it was useless; No one leaves the forests of Mutsufapu.

He steels himself and takes a hold of the dagger in his holster. His voice came out gravely and low as he came to the inevitable conclusion, “We’re going to have to fight.”

“What? Fight the Dragon King?!” The female voice asked incredulously. “No one has fought the barbarian and lived to tell about it. What makes you think we can?” 

The shouts become louder enough to ring throughout his ears, and he can make out the sight of small balls of light coming with it. Torches. It must be a whole pack. They need a plan,  _ now. _ “Not us, just me,” he says. 

The ground shakes under the force of the incoming group. Their weapons gleam through the wood’s darkness, and the fire from their torches casting shadows upon their faces. Faces Izuku could almost identify. Almost. If he just...His grip on his weapon tightens as they draw closer, and he begins to take a step forward. 

“Izuku! Stop!” The woman cries. She gains hold of his arm again, and he prepares to shake her off until he meets the hardened determination in her eyes. She purses her lips and draws her bow. “You’re not doing this without me,” She states. 

He is still unable to see her face, but he can hear the steely resolve in her voice. That along with the familiar look in her eye brings something to the forefront of his mind. More so, it fills him with comfort to have someone like her as an ally. 

With a new sense of comradery, he sends her a grateful smile he knows she can not see and draws his weapon, confident that she does the same. The shouts are almost deafening at this point as laughter is added into the mix. The army rejoices at their stagnation, and the sound of their marching feet slows as they close in on their prey. Their faces become more discernible as they approach, and Izuku is able to see the entire army for the first time. 

A band of warriors, all wearing the dress of the Southern tribes. And, they not only carried spears, but swords, clubs, and daggers as well. The markings on their face surrounded their eyes and brought out the red color each of them held. Izuku counted almost ninety men and women in all. No children in sight, so this must have been a hunting party. They must have drawn their attention somehow.

From the front of the group, a tall figure comes forward. His face is immersed in darkness, but he wore the unmistakable red cloak. His face and exposed chest carried the tribe’s indiscernible markings. An evident leader among the pack who’s sword still sat in the hilt of its case on his hip. Izuku studies the figure and finds an unnerving amount of ease in the others’ body language. He’s looked them over and determined they were no threat, but why keep up with the chase?

Izuku yells into the darkness, “Who are you?”

One of his men tosses him a stave, and the leader’s hands pop with sparks as he creates his own flame to light it. The light from the torch finally reveals his face. Midoriya’s eyes widen at the revelation of more than just red eyes. Sandy brown hair, chiseled jaw, and an unmistakable scowl. The Barbarian King grits his teeth and scoffs, “Thought you would have known, Deku.” 

* * *

The hunting party was not eager to let them go, seeing as they knew the location of their nest. Careful negotiations led Izuku, and the girl, who’s named he learned was Ochako, to agree to tail them to their campsite just down the hill of the Forest of Mutsufapu. Izuku couldn’t tell what their intentions were at the moment, but if they had done something to draw the attention of the Barbarian King himself, then it might have been worse than he thought. 

The nesting grounds the party was leading them was apparently a long way from the path Izuku and Ochako were intending to go down in the first place, so the journey took all night. With the sun out of the sky, it was deemed safer to travel under the moonlight, when the warriors got most of their power. Their march was uninterrupted and scarily tense. No creature in their right mind would mess with anyone of the barbarians, let alone a hoard, so it was safe to say that the two travelers were safe in their midst.

On the way, Ochako was patched up by the healers while walking and upon looking at her face, he felt a pang of concern. He walked over to them and struggled to match their pace as they walked.

“Are you okay?” He asked with concern in his eyes. Her foot was bent into an awkward position, and her face and arms were littered with bruises. Patches of hair stuck out, and her bottom lipped seemed to be swelling up. She honestly looked like hell, but he couldn’t say that he looked any better. 

Ochako looked up with a reassuring smile, “Don’t worry about me. What about you?” 

His heart panged in response to her concern, and he almost felt guilty for letting the huntress get caught up in his own mess. “Why are you worried about me? I got you into this. Ochako, I am so sorry. If there-

“Izuku, stop. I wanted to escort you to your mother’s village, remember. That’s what friends are for.” 

He sighed and buried his face in his hands, “That doesn’t make it any better.”

The two healers, having finished their job, picked up the pace to catch up with the rest of the group. Ochako pulled his hands from his face and looked at him in the eyes with a serious expression. “Izuku, I need you to answer my question.”

“Wha- I’m fine. I’ve been through worse.” 

Ochako watched him with a pensive look in her eye. “No, not that. Are you going back with him? The Barbarian King, I mean.”

He gawked, “What do you mean ‘Go with him?’” 

“The two healers who walked away, I heard their conversation. My uncle is half-Barbarian, so I only understood bits and pieces, but I gathered enough.” She fiddled with her bandages as she spoke nervously. “They think the King is bringing you back to the campsite because he’s interested in you. Please, tell me you’re not going to do anything stupid like go off with him along in the forest.”

Izuku considered it for a moment before sighing, “Well, he came all this way. The least I should do is hear him out.” Izuku looked warily at the camp of warriors surrounding them. “It doesn’t look like he’s giving me a choice either.”

A loud voice calling to them from the other side of the camp. He turned around to see an armed swordswoman and another warrior making their way over to them with supplies. 

“Here ya go. Courtesy of the “The Barbarian King.” The new guy says as he hands him and Ochako blankets and other supplies. His hair was white and red with a scar covering the right side of his face. Both of the barbarians eyed them knowingly, and the same guy gestured to the front of the pack while speaking to Izuku. “This is as far as the girl goes, but as I think you’re already aware, the boss would like a word with you.”

Izuku steeled his face and made to push himself forward. Ochako reached for him, her eyes filled with worry. He pulled out a smile and reassured her, “We’re getting out of her ‘Chako. Believe me.” 

With those words and the unspoken approval of his loyal companion, he followed swordswoman to the Barbarian King’s tent while the red and white-haired stranger stayed with Ochako and the rest of the group. The cool air caused him to shake and shiver despite his tense muscles. Volcanic soot rained down and covered the ground they trod, and the winds from the nearby sea blew the leftover ash into the air. With only the smallest observations, Izuku could tell that they were far from his home village. 

Each torch on the actual campsite grounds brought a new light that revealed more of the dense forest Izuku had only heard about in rumors. Surrounding all sides, except for one where a mountain had blocked the path his companion tried to take before, were lush green trees that stretched all the way to the stars. Most of the ground was covered with species of flowers that a few of the tribe members had told him were “Wale Lilies.” The magic spores the flowers produced fed the entire forest, keeping it hidden to the general public. 

“Magic?” He asked. 

The swordswoman, Yayorozu, nodded as she explained, “Yes, the same magic that’s healed your friend, keeping the forest alive, and giving our king his power.” She stopped her explanation there, and Izuku thought it was best not to ask. If she didn’t say anything more than he probably wasn’t going to get any more out of her by asking. Getting answers from Yayorozu was out of the question since the loyal servant was probably told not to disclose to anyone information about the king.

They finally stopped at a campsite already set up filled with more of the tribe. This must be the heart of their nest. No wonder they've been so tense. 

The forest was denser and the air was cooler. Giant volcanoes took the place of mountains that made his homeland distinct. “Alright, just head on down that path and you’ll run into his tent in no time,” Yayorozu exclaimed as they came to the edge of the hill. 

Midoriya was suspicious, and he raised an eyebrow and asked, “You’re not coming with me?

“I would if I could, but the boss asked for as much privacy as possible.” Yayorozu stood guarded and tense, but her bright smile turned to him knowingly. “It sounds like someone’s getting lucky.” 

Midoriya’s face was red in a heartbeat, and he couldn’t make it down the hill fast enough while murmuring thanks and appreciation to his guide. His face was still hot as he made it to the bottom of the hill and stood in front of a tent with the royal symbol encrusted onto it. His nerves were on fire, and his body ached to flee. However, he made a promise to Ochako, and he was not going to go back on his word. 

With a deep breath, he leaned forward and pulled back one of the flaps of the tent. The first thing he sees is the king sitting criss-cross in the middle with a cup of black tea. To his right, a makeshift incense stand was on top of one of his treasure chests. His back was to the entrance giving Midoriya an incredible view of his back muscles. The selfless courage he displayed earlier was once again replaced by his blushing and fumbling nature. Yayorozu’s earlier words ran through his head. ‘ _ It sounds like someone’s getting lucky’ _

“Come in, Deku, before you let all the dirt in!” The Barbarian King barked from his place in the middle of the tent. Without even turning around, he had sensed another’s presence before they could even make a move.  _ His reflexes are amazing! _

“Don’t make me ask twice. Come in or get out.” The royal’s tone was tired and wary, and Midoriya struggled to fulfill his request before risking to anger him even more. His back was still turned leaving the other plenty of time to scan the tent. It was mostly empty, with the exception of a treasure chest or two which he guessed carried most of his belongings or maybe more of the items to help tune his magic.

The Barbarian King was known to have accomplished impossible feats, almost miracles, in battle. Summoning a dragon to escape deadly traps, creating a meteorite shower to destroy an entire kingdom, but Izuku had chalked it up to rumors. Spread to inspire fear in the Barbarian Tribe’s enemies, but now...

Anxiously, the other awaited some or any response from the explosive king. With his new discovery, there was no telling what the leader would do to Izuku and Ochako. It was time to start planning now. Maybe, they could find a route around the campsite to a lake and...

“You know, you haven’t changed a bit, Deku. Not one bit. Still the same annoying ass mumbler.” He finally turned around, and for a second, Midoriya was stunned at his face. 

Though he had seen him earlier, the adrenaline from the chase and terror in his blood had made it hard for his own senses to truly take in the Barbarian King’s beauty. With the power of unstoppable miracles, word spread about the famous pretty face who was able to disarm the ordinary soldier and make an easier kill. Beautiful and murderous ruby eyes that rival a jewel’s sparkle, white and pearly teeth that shine brighter than the surface of his blade, a firm but gorgeous face that rivaled any goddess in the kingdom of heaven. The King had truly been blessed. But, in addition to his godly looks, the heir had the misfortune of inheriting the violent streak his ancestor was infamous for. A deadly killer hidden under sheep’s clothing and Izuku had the misfortune of stumbling into his territory.

“What do you mean ‘I haven’t changed? We’ve never met.” Izuku struggled not to make his voice tremble, but the intimidating presence he was faced with did nothing to help. If anything, the King seemed more devoted to getting a reaction out of him. 

“It’s disappointing you don’t recognize me. After all, I am the one who vouched for your life tonight.”

Izuku went rigid. He was expected to pay this King back for showing enough mercy to let him live? Did he expect him to join his forces as payment? What about Ochako? What would happen to her? 

“Use me to repay the debt we owe however you please, however, I MUST ask that you leave my friend alone.”

“Who? Angel Face? Don’t worry about it. I’m definitely not after her.” The King got up from his seating position and moved in on the traveler. Izuku felt sweat dripping down his back at the power felt from this magical creature. He was frozen from where he knelt in front of the entrance, and he found himself in a trance as the other lifted his head and looked him in the eye. 

Dazed and confused, he couldn’t bring himself to question why the most attractive creature on the earth had been taken with him nor could he bring himself to refute it. His heart leaped in his throat as the King opened his mouth to speak, but again, he found himself ready to listen. To hear. To be whatever this man wanted him to. The illusion was crushed as The King brought himself closer to Midoriya’s ear and muttered,

_ Izuku, what’s my name?.  _


	2. Game Tutorial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bunch of dialogue and exposition. Yay?

_*ONE WEEK EARLIER*_

A ring at the doorbell interrupted Izuku’s fruitless cleaning spree. He opened the door to see Ochako, Shouto, Momo, and Mineta standing with various expressions written across their faces. Ochako and Shouto offered shy smiles as they walked in and greeted him. Ochako, in particular, went straight for a hug before looking around in wonder. 

Ochako and Shouto were some of his closest friends. They had known each other since the beginning of high school and had even made sure to keep in touch after graduation. While the rest of their friend group had gone their own ways, the trio had managed to stay together. 

“This place looks great, ‘Zuku. Kinda messy.” Ochako said. Izuku chuckled at her brazen straightforward nature. 

Momo followed Shouto inside, as he took the jacket from her shoulders. She had been a part of their friend group for a long time as well. She was always considered the mom friend of the group, so she spread her attention around equally, but she had especially struck a connection with the red and white-haired heartthrob during their last years of high school as well. Nowadays, she and Shouto came as a package deal everywhere they went, so Izuku knew he wouldn’t be able to avoid inviting her to what they were doing tonight, not that he would want to. The girl was genuinely sweet and one of the best friends he could have. Izuku appreciated the compliments she paid to his flat when she had first walked in. Momo was one of the politest girls he had ever met, but he couldn’t say the same for the man next to her. 

Mineta looked around, “I don’t see how you’re gonna get any hot chicks to come back to this dump. Have you seen this place, man?”

Ochako hit him before he could say anything else, and Izuku chuckled nervously. It wasn’t like he wasn’t aware his apartment was far from ideal, but for a broke grad student fresh out of college, it was pretty decent. 

Ignoring the rude behavior, Ochako looked at Izuku with a concerned look on her face, “I heard about Ground Zero coming into town next week.” 

Shouto, hearing a name of interest, came over with a look that mirrored hers and put his hand on Izuku’s shoulder. Izuku looked at the hand that tightly gripped his shoulder curiously and chuckled. While Shouto had been working on getting better at his comforting techniques, that wasn’t saying much at all. 

“Guys, I’m fine. I promise. Come into the living room. I think Kamianri is finished setting up.” He waved off their concerns and walked away.

Before the two could say another word, a loud voice shouted, “Hey, guys! In here!” Izuku sighed and silently thanked his younger brother for yelling when he had. Gon was sitting on the couch wearing his characteristic cheery smile and watching the others walk in. He waved and greeted each one of Izuku’s friends before patting the seat next to him. Gon had been especially excited to see what Kaminari had made. In addition to being a walking ray of sunshine, he had practically inserted himself into Izuku's friend groups since he learned how to talk. Izuku couldn’t bring himself to be mad at him when the other was so happy to meet new people. He was like a puppy that was fed by the constant attention. 

Izuku made his way onto the couch next to him and waved the others over as well. They sat, pretty squished, side by side, in front of a table set up in the middle of the living room with a tarp hanging over it. 

Kaminari stood in the front of the room with his hands spread wide and a mischievous grin on his face. His blonde hair covered his right eye giving him a more sinister look than intended. Next to him is a tarp covering an object that was the subject of the day’s meeting. 

“Good Evening, ladies, gentlemen, and Mineta. Today, Denki Enterprises humbly approaches you with...the future.”

With a flourish, he uncovers the tarp and reveals the object underneath. For a second, Izuku is confused. It appears to be no bigger than a machine no bigger than a coffee maker with large blinking lights and whirring fans inside. A small tube connected that machine to what appeared to be a helmet covered in bioluminescent covering. 

Ochako and Gon did not share his same sense of confusion, for they began clapping as soon as it was uncovered, and Izuku reluctantly followed their lead. 

Inside Izuku’s apartment, his friend group had gathered inside his living room to listen to their friend present his ‘life’s work” that could better be described as a recreational experiment that has been five years in the making. Gon, Ochako, Mineta, Todoroki, Momo, and himself sat on the couch inside his living room listening to their friend’s practice presentation. 

Kaminari had planned to attend a conference in Aichi where all upcoming entrepreneurs gathered to show off what they believed to be the next big technological advancement. It’s where inventions could catch the eyes of potential investors, and a bit of funding is all Kaminari needed. Of course, his friends were nothing less than supportive and excitedly agreed to be the practice audience for his presentation in order to bolster his confidence. 

Mineta scoffed in annoyance, “Get on with it. What does this thing do?” He pestered impatiently. 

Kaminari’s infectious excitement failed to be deterred as he continued his presentation, “Thank you for asking. I call this, the Demulation...or something. It’s a work in progress.” 

Gon raised his hand curiously, but the blonde was already prepared for the question. “Yes, I did combine the word simulation with my own last name, and yes, it is amazing. I’m sure you’re curious as to how it works. For that, I would require...a volunteer.” 

Denki looked around at his makeshift audience who had become quiet. Izuku himself was weighing his options. On the one hand, he did want to support their friend and his endeavors wholeheartedly, but on the other hand, his mom had made it very clear that the next trip he made to the hospital due to his reckless decisions would be his last. Fearing the latter more, the green-haired daredevil had to coincide for now. Looking across the couch at his brother, it seemed like Gon had come to the same conclusion as well. 

Kaminari frowned at his friend's silence, and seeing as they had made the same deduction as Izuku, he sighed, “...or I could choose. Mineta, get up here.” 

The unlucky candidate looked around the other participants in disbelief and panic, “Why me? I’m too young to kick it to one of your crapshoot inventions Kaminari! No way!” 

“Relax, man.” He smirked salaciously and offered, “If you’re good now, maybe I’ll consider taking you to the convention with me.” 

The other crossed his arms and huffed. Seeing his friend’s undeterred state, Kaminari decided to step it up. “You know, the convention is full of young attractive women looking to seduce all the soon to be billionaires.”

Mineta burst up from the couch and took his place next to Kaminari before he could even finish his play. “Hook me up, baby! I’m ready!” And, before Mineta could change his mind, Kaminari pushed the device onto his head and finally resumed the presentation. He looked back at his audience and dramatically gestured to the helmet-shaped device.

“This helmet is called the Center. These tubes help it communicate with the brain’s hippocampus to take memories and conscious thought. It filters though what it gets from the brain, and what it deems useful travels down this tube and into the machine where the simulation is made.”

“Simulation?” Momo asked. Her brown eyes sparkled with interest. “You mean this thing creates dreams?”

Kaminari winced and shook his head, “Not really. You see, what this machine, not only receives your synapsis but also communicates with your retrosplenial cortex. In essence, it will show you what it thinks you want to see most. Observe.”

He pressed a button on the side of the machine that lit its middle up purple and green hues. The buzzing inside of it grew louder, and after a moment, Kaminari pressed a button on the side of it that turned the lights completely green. “Now, the absorption power is based on how long the machine is left on. In the interest of time, I decided to only leave it on for a moment, letting the machine absorb all of Mineta’s base memories. So basically, the things he has seen recently or has thought about the most. Now that it has something to work with, Demulation can do its thing.” 

Kaminari flipped the switch on the bottom of the cylindrical machine and Mineta’s head was thrown backward. His body flopped limply onto the ground, and the group paused in concern. Momo was the first to act by putting his head in her lap and checking his pulse. 

The presenter scratched his head embarrassed and chuckled, “I forgot about that little side effect. Usually, the test patients fall into a state of unconsciousness more gradually, so I thought I would have time to get him into position.” 

Momo shook her head and sighed, “Well, his pulse seems to be alright. Please, be careful, Kaminari. The last thing the ambulance needs is another phone in from the Midoriya's.”

Gon and Izuku locked eyes and blushed, neither offering a plausible enough excuse for the claim. 

Kaminari took a keypad out of his pocket along with a screen and began to press a few buttons. After a few moments, he looked around, smiled triumphantly, and held up the screen. “Mineta has now entered his own simulation. Using the memories it absorbed, the Demulation has created what is sort of an alternate reality. Using the synapses from his RSC, it has communicated with the will of the user and created…”

The screen flickered a few times before coming back to life. It displayed what appeared to be a messy bedroom filled with posters of anime girls in very suggestive clothing. Clothes scattered and across the floor cover boxes of left-over takeout. The shelves next to the door seemed to be full of dozens of hentai DVDs, and Izuku could only imagine what was inside the dressers. Thankfully, the camera panned into the view of someone’s hands in their lap, and a sudden voice came through the speakers.

“What the...How did I get in my room?” A voice sounding exactly like Mineta’s asked. 

Izuku gasped, “Is he... in there?”

Kaminari answered, “His consciousness is. That’s what the helmets are for. To create almost a barrier around the user’s brain and surround it with the reality created. Right now, Mineta does not think he’s in a dream. According to all four of his senses, he is back home in his bedroom. ” He turned and winked at the group slyly. “The transfer of consciousness will be seamless. The subject won’t even know he’s asleep.”

The four friends were speechless as they took in the simulation playing out on the screen. Mineta walked around his room, put his night clothes on (which everyone could have lived without seeing), ruffling his hair in the mirror that created an incredibly realistic reflection before he heard a knock on the door. Mineta yelled. “I cleaned my room this morning, Mom. You don’t have to check.” 

The door creaked open and to reveal Momo leaning against the doorframe. She wore a brown trench coat that was wrapped tightly against her bodice with black knee-high heels. Her hair was down from her regular ponytail and made into loose curls that framed her face. “Momo?” Mineta questioned. “What are you doing here?”

Outside the simulation, Momo gaped at her counterpart. Her face as white as a sheet, she shook her head disbelievingly. Thankfully, Ochako was the first to speak up. 

“Amazing.” She poked at the display screen curiously. “It looks so…”

“Real,” Momo interjected. She seemed to have gained back some of the colors in her face, especially in her cheeks. “But, why me?” She asked. 

Izuku spoke in awe. “The machine is acting out his deepest desires. Almost like a hyper-realistic fantasy.” He turned to his friend. “Kaminari, this is so cool.”

Kaminari shrugged. “Well, that’s what it’s supposed to do. I don’t know why he wants to see you in his bedroom, but…”

The group got their answer as Momo unfastened her coat to reveal a skimpy lingerie set underneath. A matching lacy pink bra and underwear were the only things covering Momo’s more generous...assets. The real Momo turned a shade of scarlet red and began to attack Mineta’s unconscious body with definite punches and unrepeatable curses. Todoroki and Gon jumped up to protect their unconscious miscreant from her deadly rage. 

Gon watched as Mineta’s face remained completely blank, and he motionlessly lied in the middle of the living room floor. Worriedly, he yelled over Momo’s loud curses and profanities directed at the limp figure and asked, “Why isn’t he waking up?”

Kaminari was fumbling with the keypad, hurriedly pressing the buttons to close the view from the display. He distractedly responded as he typed up the control function, “As long as his consciousness stays inside the simulation, his physical body will be unable to respond or feel anything until he wakes up.”

Gon and Todoroki worked on holding their friend back as she viciously tried to enact her revenge, and even Ochako and Izuku joined in to help. Ochako strained against her friend’s strength and cried, “Turn it off before she kills him!”

“I’m trying!” Kaminari yelled back in a panic. It took a few more moments and in that time, simulation-Momo had made her way on top of Mineta’s body and had begun to unhook her bra. Before any piece of clothing dropped, Kaminari yelled in triumph as the screen went blank and the lights completely shut off. 

Mineta’s eyes opened slowly as he came back to the real world, and Gon helped him as he tried to sit up. “What happened? Why am I on the floor? He winced. “And, why does it feel like I was hit by a truck.” 

“A lot of that last part, you can thank Momo for,” Todoroki said. Seeing him come back to consciousness, he let go of his friend and let her enact her revenge with the smaller male able to defend himself. They let out a relieved course of laughter as Momo attempted to get his hands around his neck, and Izuku looked to Kaminari. 

“So, that thing works solely on memories?” He asked. 

Kaminari, who had been busy watching the spectacle unfold before him, snapped his attention back to focus. “Well, kinda. If the helmet had stayed on a little longer, it may have been able to absorb things that Mineta hadn’t even experienced himself, such as movies he watched, books he read, pictures he had seen. The fantasy can absorb that memory and have the alternate reality set in the same place as the things he has seen and remembered. As long as your brain has a significant hold on the memory, the machine can recreate it.”

Gon’s eyes widened as he blushed, and Izuku couldn't help but do the same. There was no telling what debauched things Mineta’s mind would have subjected them to. 

“Wow,” Ochako grinned and pressed her fingertips together like she always did when she was really excited. “That’s amazing, Kaminari. You can basically create a world where you can experience anything.” 

“Isn’t that a lot of memory?” Shouto pondered. “To absorb almost every little thing someone has remembered, it has to be stored in something a little bit bigger, right?” He gestured to the smaller machine and Kamianri shook his head. 

“The size of the machine isn’t the problem, but the memory chip is. Right now, I can store three young adult’s complete memories, and that’s taking into account their entire lives. Anyone over the age of thirty would probably overload this thing.”

Mineta ran over to where the group was in the living room carrying an ice pack and sporting a new black eye, “So, now anyone can see my memories on that thing.”

“No, people can only use their own memories to create their simulation. In a way, it’s like a login for your account. Each person’s unique synapsis and brain structure take them to their own simulated reality, but it won’t let them in anyone else’s.” Kaminari stood up and turned to look at the machine in disappointment. “The only thing I haven’t figured out yet is how to control them.”

“Control them?” Izuku asked. 

“Yeahh, technically the simulation is based on a deep want or desire. People usually have multiple of those, so it’s easy to use them and make a new scenario each time. And the device usually only plays out each fantasy for a specific amount of time. But no one can control the scenario they are actually placed in. For example, I know if Mineta had the choice, he would rather not have wanted us to see how perverted his imagination could be, but the machine sensed an easily replicable want and made it happen.”

“Do you think you can learn how to control this thing?” Ochako asked. 

Kaminari shook his head and sat criss-cross on the floor, completely giving up the presenter persona he had on before. “Maybe that’s something to consider for the update. But, I do need some help.” He gestured at the machine. “The device is wholly untested, considering I’m the only one who has been testing it out. It needs some more test subjects to get used to the human mind.”

Mineta was the first to raise his hand excitedly, “Pick me1 Pick me! Pick me! Please, Kaminari.”

Ignoring the other, Kaminari turned his attention to his other friends and looked at them hopefully. “Well?”

Todoroki shook his head sadly, “I’m sorry, Kaminari. There are just some things in my mind that should remain unseen.” The group looked at him awaiting an explanation, but instead of giving one, he offered, “I do want to help. If you want, you can use my dad’s labs to help develop the device’s code. I can get you access to some better technology and equipment.”

Stars couldn’t have shone brighter than Kaminari’s eyes at that moment. “Really?”

“I won’t be able to participate either, but I could talk to an acquaintance of mine about securing you a good spot for your presentation,” Momo added. “There’s a specific time where the convention is supposed to be most active, so if you want, I can get you a spot there.”

While Kaminari had Todoroki and Momo locked into a hug hold, Gon and Izuku muttered among themselves. Ochako couldn’t hear all of it, but she could pick out some words. 

At the end of their shared conversation, they both sprang up and raised their hands. Ochako almost buckled from the whiplash as she heard Gon say, “Okay, we’ll help test out your invention.” 

“What happened to not wanting to get hurt?” Ochako murmured curiously.

“Kamianri’s invention doesn’t seem to be dangerous.” Gon said as he looked around. “And, Nii-chan and I really want to help!” 

Izuku wrangled his hands together, “Just maybe not tell my mom though, okay? 

Ochako looked at her friend in astonishment. Izuku was really ready to risk a lot for Kaminairi’s invention to be displayed. Even more, with the threat of his mother handing over his head. Inspired, Ochako got up and raised her hand, “Count me in, too!”

Mineta grumbled from his spot on the floor, ice bag still on his eye, “Whatever. I hope the thing melts your idiot brains.” He sobbed. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's that crossover I promised. This chapter was meant to set the simulation's rules up and better establish the relationship between characters. Now, we can have fun! =) 
> 
> By the way, if you guys get confused time-wise by the story, please tell me. I do plan to jump around a lot, but for the most part, unless stated otherwise, events are happening one after the other. 
> 
> Also (part 2), the start prompts are my way of letting you know when Izuku is actually in the game.


	3. Game 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izuku Takes the Demulation out for another spin, but Kaminari notices a mysterious figure.

_ LOADING… _

_ LOADING… _

_ LOADING… _

_ START? _

“All Aboard! All aboard! We are pulling out in ten minutes.” The conductor yelled outside the train. 

Izuku looked up at the clock in the train station and sighed. The slow tick of the minute hand seemed to move at lightning speed to the trio waiting in the station lobby. Whether it seemed to be his own mind’s doing or not, an eternity seemed to pass between each second. Momo and Todoroki looked at him reassuringly. 

He braved a smile and looked at them. Momo looked beautiful in her pink corset, even as her ruffled skirt brushed against the station’s filthy gowns as she nervously swayed back and forth. She looked as frazzled, and he almost beat himself over the head for making her fret. Shouto put a hand on her back to calm her down and fixed his stare at him. Izuku’s eyes widened, and his palms began to sweat. 

Real or not. Only a few things seemed to be changed inside of this simulation. Which was to be expected. These were scenarios taken directly from memory. He remembered Kaminari’s words:  _ It makes it even easier to play to be comfortable in the new environment. The person who’s under will even be able to know what to say at the drop of hat. _

Izuku grinned reassuringly and made to comfort their worries, “Don’t worry about me, guys. I know he’ll be here. 

_ The transfer of consciousness will be seamless. The subject won’t even know he’s asleep.  _

Shouto was still rubbing his back comfortingly, as his smooth voice spoke. “He  _ will  _ be here. Trust me. My father had him working all night in the shop last night to make up for all the vacation he’d be using up for this week off. He’s probably sleeping in.” 

Momo’s expression turned ire. She crossed her arms and murmured, “ Endeavor has to be the cruelest manager in the entire steel industry.”

Todoroki hummed in agreement, “Heartless, egotistical…”

Izuku scoffs. Ignoring their banter, he began to look around at the station they were in. It was almost the size of his apartment (not saying much), and it looked worse for wear. He remembered the trick Kaminari had taught him and looked closely at the corners of the room. It was hard to tell, but the pixels were definitely diffusing more in the darker areas of the simulation. ‘He did say this was in the testing phase,’ Izuku thought. ‘Though I have to wonder, why send me here?’

“Last call! Station heading west. Last call!” The annoyed conductor boarded the train and got ready to begin his journey. Momo and Shouto began to fret. 

“Midoriya, it’s best you go now.” Momo smiled reassuringly. “We’ll escort him on board with you, but you have to go.  **Now!** ” 

Shouto helped her push him towards the rails insistently. He struggled against their combined freakishly strong strength and protested, “Wait, my luggage, my ticket, shouldn’t I-” 

Without giving him a chance to finish speaking, they pushed him through the doors of the train, and his eyes widened as he saw the doors close shut. He got up and pushed desperately against them to no avail. They were sealed airtight, and the train whistle indicated that they were beginning to leave the station. Izuku squished his face up against the door and looked out to the two of them who stood there with unnervingly wide smiles waving him away as the train started to move. Izuku backed away from the window while grimacing.

The simulation had an odd way of making memories of those closest to you from your mind in order to make the experience more believable, but even so, he couldn’t ever remember picturing his two friends so creepy. 

Shaking it out of his mind, he slumped and made to take his seat at the very back of the poorly lit train until he realized there was no back. After three seats or so, the pixels of the game dissipate into darkness. ‘Huh? He must still be working out the coding here.’ He thought.

“Oi, is this seat taken?” A voice to his right said. He turned to face the voice only to be met with the same ruby eyes from before. Firecly shining bright and hot, he smirked at the shocked look on Izuku’s face. His attire looked amazing wearing a tight blue vest over a red dress shirt that was covered by his tan petticoat. His dress pants were a darker shade of brown leading up to his scuffed black shoes and completely white socks. “What’s wrong, Deku? Don’t tell me you get car sick?

Izuku looked down and saw himself sitting in a seat he definitely wasn’t sitting in thirty seconds ago. The blonde now sat next to him leaning back comfortably in his chair. Izuku gasped in awe and whispered “Wow!” 

He hadn’t even felt the scene change despite being moved from a completely different position. The programming is amazing. The only few glitches he has seen seem to affect the actual images, well that and the characters anyways. But, Kaminari seriously put a lot of work into this. 

“Stop mumbling,” The man sitting next to him demanded in an annoyed tone. He rolled his eyes and looked back at him. “You’re not going to be doing that all weekend.” 

As soon as his eyes fell on him, Izuku began to sweat. Was this wrong, morally? Or, in the very least, isn’t it a little creepy? Trying to relieve an unachievable fantasy was one thing but was it something else if he actually tried to enact his desires. Technically, none of this was real. The man with burning red eyes wasn’t real (no matter how much he wished he was), the train they were riding wasn’t real, and even he was a simulated body existing within a computer-made fictional plane. Could the immorality of this situation be negated by that single fact?

He looked back into the eyes that were still studying him from the seat next to him and stared. He wasn’t real, was he? Before he could think, delicate pink lips whispered a few words so quietly. If Izuku wasn’t paying so close attention, he wasn’t sure he would have even heard the other whisper, “Kiss me.” Before he could even hesitate, Izuku’s chin was grabbed, and he could barely register himself surging forward to another pair of lips. 

At that moment, Izuku thought that his earlier justifications were flawed seeing as there was no way this wasn’t at least a little real. Could code replicate the passion and intensity a simple contact could hold? Even the heat from a handsomely dressed man’s body even felt real. It engulfed him and made it so that it was all he could feel. Nothing else could have destroyed his senses so carelessly and efficiently at the same time. The lips pressed against his knew him. They knew how to break him down and build him back up all in the same breath. Admittedly, being next to someone that powerful was terrifying but amazing at the same time. 

When they finally parted ways, Izuku found himself at a loss for how to regain the sanity one kiss had taken away. In an effort to stop his panic, the blonde grabbed his hand and squeezed. Looking him in the eye, he commanded, “Don’t think about this too much, Deku.” He said with a devious smile on his handsome face. “It ruins the fun.” 

_ Game Over _

* * *

Someone was nudging him on the shoulder. Izuku groaned as he forced one eye open and turned to see his friend with an anxious smile on his face. “Well, how was it?” Kamianri asked nervously. He unconsciously twiddled his thumbs as he held his notepad in his lap. 

Izuku sat up and took a breath, “It went great! The graphics were amazing and everything seemed so real.” He really was impressed by his friend’s work. It was no doubt going to be Kaminari’s ticket to a bigger career path. 

The inventor breathed a sigh of relief as he went to take a diagnostic of the test run. “Good. I was up all night recording for quality. I want to make sure this baby is in tip top shape since Momo went to the trouble of getting me that better spot.” He looked at the numbers in code closely as he ran through the diagnostics he ran through ten times before. No doubt, Izuku had seen his friend run himself ragged in preparation for this meeting. It was three months away, but the deadline seemed to loom even closer. 

On one hand, Izuku could feel himself sympathize with the other. He knew what hard deadlines and gargantuan expectations could do to a person, but there had been something that was bothering him since he had first tested the simulation. 

“Trains?” He questioned. 

Kaminari looked up from his laptop confused, “Huh?” 

“Why was my setting this time on an old train station?’ Izuku clarified. “Last time, I was in some medieval fantasy and now I’m in some train station rom-com. Those two seem so different.” 

Kaminari scratched his head, avoiding eye contact. “Well, that’s actually something I should be asking you.” He picked up his pencil and pad and began to take notes. “The simulation changes based on past memories, so do you remember anything in the real world that resembled the fantasy you were just in?

Izuku thought long and hard. He couldn’t bring himself to remember much about the train station, but their first trial run had looked familiar. He thought, ‘Well…Honestly, the first world reminded me more of-’

He gasped and startled Kaminari who was taking note of his blood pressure beside him. “Final Destination?” He laughed in realization. “Gon and I stood up all night playing that game the night before I did the first trial run. Wait...A video game? So, then that means...movies too, right?” Kaminari didn’t even have to respond as Izuku mumbled and put the pieces together. “My mom sat my brother and I down two days ago to watch some old black and white romance film with her. I forgot the name...maybe that made today’s fantasy. That’s so cool!” 

Kaminari chuckled amusedly, “Yeah, I guess it's getting used to you. It's collecting data that are not base memory.” He looked at his device proudly before turning to Izuku. “You change worlds more than any of the others, too. Both Ochako and Gon have stayed in the same worlds for their simulations, but it seems like you change every time.”

“Wow,” Izuku pondered. “I wonder why?”

Kaminari shrugged it off. “It’s what you want, I guess. As long as you got that blonde guy there, the simulation seems to think it's free to put you wherever.” Ignoring the way Izuku seemed to tense up, he asked, “By the way, ‘Zuku, who is that guy?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really sat on this one. Sorry, if updates are slow. =(


	4. Game 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for another round in the simulation. This time, Izuku is intrigued by a certain familiar looking drummer.

_ LOADING… _

_ LOADING… _

_ LOADING… _

_ START?  _

The bar seemed to be overly swarmed for a Thursday night. Dancing bodies took up the middle of the room, and conversing couples and groups stood on the outskirts near the walls. Both of which make it almost impossible for Izuku to make his way to the bar. However, he does manage to grab a seat. He was taking a look at the possible drink options in his hand when an empty glass slams into his field of vision. 

Izuku blinks and looks up to see a frowning middle-aged man glaring at him. His eyes are tired and irritated, and his mouth seemed to be set in a permanent frown. “I said, ‘What’s your poison, kid?’” The bartender reiterates. 

His face flushes, and he lowers his head in embarrassment. “Sorry, I must have not heard from you. Tequila?” With that, the bartender walks away leaving Izuku to sigh relief. He looks around dazedly at the distracted masses. Seeing as none of them was the person he was looking for, he turned back in his stool dejectedly.

“One shot of Tequila. The bartender says tiredly. His tone of voice triggers something inside of Izuku, and he tilts his head in confusion. The bartender raises his eyebrows in response, “Can I get you anything else?”

“No...Aizawa?” He says. The name almost feels familiar coming out of his mouth. Almost like he had said them before or seen them.

Aizawa does not share his sense of confusion because he rolls his eyes and says patronizingly, “Yes, that is what my how you read my nametag.” Izuku looks down at the nametag on his chest to see that the kanji for his name is indeed printed the same way. He flushes in embarrassment once more as Aizawa walks away mumbling something about not getting enough pay. 

Izuku sighs into his drink and throws it back. The only thing worse than crowds is interacting with them. Though he can’t seem to pick out any faces, he does have to admit the various people are realistically detailed and unique. It really does feel like he’s in a real bar. 

“Alright! Who is ready to party?” The host shouts from the center stage. The crowd answers back enthusiastically. Izuku turns around intrigued. 

“We’ve got some fan favorites here ready to grace the stage today. Everybody, give it up for the Ground Zero!” The cheering gets louder at the name of the band, and the host quickly makes his way off the stage to give them some room. 

The cheering only gets louder as the members become visible under the building's soft lights. In the back-center, a sandy blond man takes his place behind the drums. He smirks at the audience as he picks up the sticks, and Izuku can feel his chest tighten at the familiar face. A pink-haired woman in a purple zebra pink dress takes the mic. “What’s up, Tokyo! I’m Mina, and behind me are my associates, Kirishima, Jirou, and *******. As you probably already know, we’re Ground Zero.”

Kirishima, a man with spiky red hair and sharp-toothed grin, and Jirou, a woman with a short cut bob and bored expression, come from behind Mina to stand at her side with guitars in both of their hands. They continue waving to the audience until the drummer rolls his eyes and yells something at Mina that Izuku can’t hear from where he stands. Whatever he yells makes Mina laugh, and she gives her bandmates a signal for the song to begin.

_ Black sheep come home, black sheep come home  _

_ Black sheep come home, black sheep come home  _

Jirou works off the crowd’s energy and provides beginning background vocals and harmonies for the chorus. Her guitar’s bass shakes the walls of the bar, and her harmonies reverberate throughout the walls of the bar. The energy she gave off undercut her seemingly uninterested demeanor. As the established frontman, she led the group throughout every melody and note change with ease. 

_ Hello again, friend of a friend, I knew you when _

_ Our common goal was waiting for the world to end _

Mina’s voice is soft but airy enough to give the rock ballad a seductive sound. She sings the words while bouncing on around the stage with the beat. She seems to be the one having the most fun under the attention striking flirty poses along with some of the more risque lyrics. Looking to her left, she kept in time with Jirou and Kirishima while occasionally looking back to the obscured drummer.

_ Send you my love on a wire _

_ Lift you up, every time, everyone, ooh, pulls away, ooh _

_ From you _

Kirishima keeps up in step and strumming in time to Jirou’s notes. He hypes the crowd in between chords and keeps them moving throughout the track. He looks to the crowd shouting out some of the lyrics while occasionally losing himself in a few dance moves. His position on stage allows him to keep his strumming on the beat with the drummer while hearing any switch-ups from Jirou so that the group stays in sync. 

Though he’s in the back, the audience seems to automatically be drawn to the mysterious drummer. His low vocals work with Jriou’s higher voice to create the perfect harmonies on the chorus while keeping time with his own beats. From the looks of the signs, many of the crowd seems to be carrying, it seems as though he’s also a fan favorite.

_ It's a mechanical bull, the number one _

_ You'll take a ride from anyone _

_ Everyone wants a ride, pulls away, ooh, from you _

Izuku can say the same. He hasn’t been able to take his eyes off of him. The way his hair moves as he bangs his head up and down in time, the way he closes his eyes and seems to be lost in the music and his aura seems to scream for attention over the already loud room. His body looked relaxed and gentle. It was like he was leading both the band and the audience through the music, giving insights into words with meaning and melodies unheard. Izuku can safely say that he is hooked. 

The song ends with roaring applause, and Mina wishes the crowd a good night as they take their leave. Izuku’s eyes widen at the retreating figures, and he knows he has to act fast. Without thinking, he begins to push his way through the tightly knit crowd, almost getting crushed for his efforts. Without looking back at the people he nudged a little too hard, he made his way to the back of the stage. The backstage entrance isn’t hard to find as much as it's hard to get to, but the green-haired man manages to make his way. The guards at the door were already having a rough time calming down a horde of fans who had the same idea he did. 

One burly man was speaking with a blond woman in front of all the others, and he overhears their conversation as he approaches.

“Please...Please! Why can’t I see Kirishima-Kun?” The blonde pleads with the apathetic security guard, and his frown deepens. She was one of the audience members carrying a sign, although hers seemed to be dedicated to the Kirishima, the guitarist. 

“No one is getting in, by direct orders. If you have a problem with it, take it up with the manager.” He says dryly. The blonde continues her pestering to the increasingly annoyed man who looks to be about three seconds away from giving her the boot.

Izuku slowly approaches the two and clears his throat. The squabbling pair look back at him. The blonde’s face is curious, and the guard seems to be annoyed. “Is there any way to ask permission to get backstage?

“Take it up with Aizawa. All of you!” He waves them off. “Now, get out of my face before I call the police.” 

_ Aizawa?  _ He quickly turns to head back toward the bar, barreling his way through the dance floor this time. He reaches the seat he was previously in and looks around. While the patrons seem to be good and drunk, there was no bartender in sight. Izuku sighed in disappointment. The groupies at the door seemed to be ready to call it a day and walk off from the guards with scowls and curses. Izuku himself sighs while taking a seat in the same place he was in before the show. He wishes this wasn’t so difficult. He just needed to-

“What’s your poison, kid?” Aizawa appears in front of him suddenly as if answering a prayer. Izuku can hardly believe it. 

“Can you help me? I mean- I need to get backstage,” he says hurriedly. His heart is pounding out of his chest, and his breath comes out in short pants. 

Aizawa looks back at him as if he had grown a third head. “Calm down, Izuku.”

But Izuku is way past the point of calming down. He runs his fingers through his hair and grits his teeth. “I’m sorry. It’s just really important that I get backstage and talk to Kacchan before he leaves tonight.”

**_Kacchan?_ **

“I mean...” Izuku stutters with a flush. He takes a deep breath and plops down in the seat. “What am I talking about? There’s no way I can talk to him. Everything about him screams confidence and I- I just... You know how you meet someone for the first time and instantly feel a connection. I know it sounds crazy to say but I just felt like if I talked to him for a second, then maybe I could tell him-I dunno. Forget it, just bring me another tequila.” He lowers his head in embarrassment. 

For a long minute, there’s nothing but silence between them. Izuku keeps his head down expecting the bartender to walk away. Soon enough, he does, and Izuku lets go of a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Another group had taken the stage, and while most had left after Ground Zero’s performance, a good number of them were around to cheer on while the next performance. Izuku sighed, knowing that the band was pretty popular. It was pretty stupid of him to think-

A calloused hand slammed down a twenty-dollar bill beside him. “Hey, nerd,” Izuku turns around to see Ground Zero’s drummer standing behind him. Aizawa worldlessly takes the money and goes to fix him his usual, while Izuku froze where he sat.

The blonde drummer stares at him with an indiscernible look in his eyes and leans into the other. Before Izuku could say anything, the blonde pulls him forward and presses his lips against his. Izuku’s mind goes blank as he registers lips moving against his, and by the time he pulls away, his mind is sufficiently fried. A smirk comes back to blonde’s face as he sees the look in his eyes, and he leans forward once more to huskily whisper in his ear, 

_ “What’s my name, Deku?.” _

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was debating whether or not I actually should bleep out Katsuki's name since you already know its him, but I thought it would be better for the reveal to happen all at once. =p This chapter was mainly put in to show how the simulation responds to Izuku's own desires and memories. I know this story hasn't been very romantic, but I know the next chapter cranks it up to like 11. Definitely gonna be a favorite.

**Author's Note:**

> So, here's the deal. This is like a 25 chapter story that I had committed myself to finish during quarantine. But, now considering I only have less than a month left before I go back to college and over half of the story isn't finished yet, I have decided to call it. I thought if I posted it, it would probably give me more motivation to keep writing it. So here it is!
> 
> BTW, just so you guys aren't thrown off, I will be introducing hxh characters into this story. That's not to say it's a crossover, but I am using a few of the series characters.


End file.
